Time-controlled mechanism for operating electric switches.



J. G. VAN SLYKE. TIME CONTROLLED MECHANISM FOR OPERATING ELECTRIC SWITCHES. APPLICATION FILED JULY 12,1912.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Witnesses J lap j? Inventor Attorneys J. G. VAN SLYKE. TIME CONTROLLED MECHANISM FOR OPERATING ELECTRIC SWITCHES. APPLICATION FILED JULY 12,1912.

1,080,608. Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

Z SHEETSSHEET 2.

Attorneys a citizen of the when once-adjusted to lC-EED STATES JOHN C. VANSLY-KE,

PATENT canton.

OF nomconnms, cormmno.

Specification oi Lettersmatent.

=Patented Dec. 9, 19 1 8.

1912. SridlNo. 709,108.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J can 0. VAN SLYKE, Y United States, residing at Fort Collins, in the county (if 'Lar'imer and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Time-Controlled Mechanism for Opcrating Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to time controlled mechanisms for operating electric switches.

One object of the invention isto provide a-device that may be applied or deta'chably connected toan ordinary clock mechanism, with but small expense, and that may be adjustedforthe purpose of timing the opening and closing of an electric lighting circuit.

The invention broadly contemplates a switch cont-rolling mechanism which will antomatically operate to open and close the lighting circuit atpredetermined times, means being,provided for closing the lighting circuit at sundown of each day and automatically operate according "to the solar system of the temperate zone. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction in which the electric circuit will be automatically opened and closed every day after once adjusting the mechanism. v

A still further object ot' the invention is to provide means actuated by the clock mechanism whereby the turning on of and ed of the lights is entirely in accord with varying length of daylight and darkness throughout the year.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the comhination and arrangement'of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes inthe precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I n'the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation showing a portion of an ordinary eight day cloc portions of the dial being broken away to display the mechanism which forms the subject matter of the present invention. 2 is a detail view of the mechanism which is acted upon by the usual clock mechanism to operate a motor which'in turn operates the switch. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view f said mechanism. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the lowermost set o'ffgea rs of said mechanism which closesthe circuit and which operates what may be termedthemonth wheel to'regulate the closof the'liglit circuit at sundown of each day. Fig. 5 is a detail viewof the arm which is actuated through said lowermost set of gears to set the motor in operation to close'the circuit. Fig. G-is a detail view o'f'th'e dial which is mounted on the arbor on which the month wheel is mounted. Fig. 7 is a detail view showing the'manner in which the gear which operates the shut-off mechanism is mounted on the hour hand of the clock.

-In the drawings, "10designates the hour arbor of the clock mechanism, a gear '11 being mounted on said arbor, and said gear supporting-a dial 12. "The gear 11 moves with-the arbor inthe direction of the clock movement and independent of the same in the other direction, the ball c'lutch or ratchet 1 1 shown in detail in Fig. allowing for the slip in the movement reverse to the clockwise movement, such reverse movement being the s'ettin movement. A post '16 is mounted pa'ralle to the arbor 10, said post at its upper end supporting a gear 17 which meshes with the gear 11, these gears being timed two to one so 't-hatthe gear 17 rotates once'in'twenty-'four hours. A pin 18 is mounted on the inner said pin being arranged to contact once in twenty-four 'hours with the mechanism for opening the circuit. This means for opening the circuit is set to operate at any predetermined time, the free movement of the disk'12 and the gear 11 with respect to the arbor 10, permitting the setting of the gear 17 to allow the pin 18 to actuate the switch operating mechanism as desired. The'mechanism which is actuated by the pin 18 consists of'the lever l9,which is pivoted at 20, be'mg maintained in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by the coiled spring 21. An arm 22, which is formed with the oliset 24, is secured to the lever 19, said arm 22 being disposed in the path of, to be engaged by,'the pin '18 of the gear 17. When the pin 18 contacts with the ofiset 0r hooked-terminal 24 of the arm 22, the lever 19 will be swung on its pivot and a cable 253 pulled upon to set in operation, a motor 26 which rotates the shaft 27 which imparts a partial rotation to the switch 28 to open the circuit controlled thereby. This mechanism is designed to open the circuit at any desired time, as at sunrise or a predetermined hour of the night or early morning. This mechanism is especially desi ed for use in controlling the lighting 0 electric signs and the lights in store Windows and it will thus be seen that when the dial 12 bearing the hour numerals, is set to cause the pin 18 to engage the offset end 24 of the arm 22 that the switch 28 will, through the motor 26 thus set in motion, open the light circuit and extinguish the light The mechanism, a description of which follows, desi ed to close the circuit at the end of each ay is such, that at sundown of each day, the same bein constructed for use in the temperate zone, t e switch will be operated to close the circuit and the lights will be turned on regardless of the time set for their being turned off. Both mechanisms, however, are controlled from the hour arbor of the clock. The circuit closing mechanism includes means for compensating for the long and short days of the year in order that the circuit will be closed at sundown of the shortest day of the year as well as at sundown on the longest day of the year. This mechanism operates the lever 19 to cause the motor 26 to rotate the shaft 27, the movement imparted tothe lever 19 be ing a movement lndependent of the movement imparted by the circuit opening mechanism. A gear 29 is mounted on the arbor 10, said gear meshing with the Iarge gear 30 mounted on the post 16, these gears being timed so that'the gear 30 completes one revolution every twenty-four hours. Thus the hour arbor rotates twice while the gear 30 rotates once. An arbor 32 and spindle 33 are supported by the frame 34, attention being called to the 'fact that this mechanism being bodily ca ried by the frame 34 may be readily appli d or connected to the frame of a clock movement, a dial 35 being disposed on the arbor 32, said dial being marked with the days of the month and the months of the year, the hand 36 which is mounted on the arbor 32 and which would in a clock mechanism be the hour hand points to the months of the year and the hand 37 which is mounted on the spindle and which would be the minute hand of a clock points to the day of the month, a dial thus being provided with what may be termed thirty one minutes and/twelve hours. This mechanism is operated by the clock mechanism and is designed to time the po-,

sitioningof an intermediate actuating mechanism for the lever 19 to compensate for the long and short days of the year in the temperate zone. The gear 30 is provided on its inner face with a pin 31 which once during .tained against moving more than one notch by the spring 40, the wheel being mounted on the spindle 33, thus advancing the day hand 37 once in twenty-four hours. A gear 41 is mounted upon the spindle 33, said gear meshing with the gear 41 mounted upon the standard 42", a pinion 42 being mounted upon said standard, said pinion meshlng with the gear 43 which is secured to the base of the month arbor of the hand 36. The pinion 42' meshes with a gear 44, this pinion moving said gear one notch each month. A lever 45 is connected to this gear, this lever being moved as. the gear turns. The lever 46 is connected to the lever 45, which is provided with the curved ofi'set 47, having a slot 48 which receives the post 16. The le-.

the pin 48 is constantly changing due to the shifting of the lever 45 by the gear 44. Thus the accurate timing of the closing of the circuit is secured simultaneously with the-rotation of'the gear 44 which may be termed the year wheel. v

The many advantages of a mechanism of this character will be clearly apparent, as it will be noted that the same provides a construction which may be easily and economically manufactured and which may be readily applied to the ordinary eight day clock Without altering its construction .or interfering with its operation.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the mechanism may be set to shut the lights off at anydesired time. A pin 52' arranged on the dial 12 prevents movement of said dial in the opposite direction to thatin which it should be moved. lhe circuit closing mechanism is sotimed that at sundown on each day of the year, the circuit will be closed and the lights lighted, the arrangement being such with respect to the clock that continual setting of the same, after once properly set, is unnecessary, the clock being merely wound once in each week as is usual with clocks of this character.

There being no particular provision made for months in which there are 28, 29 and 30 days, it is necessary that the indicator or hand 37 be moved one digit in a clockwlse direction 'to make it accord with a thirty day month, two digits when with a twentynine day month and three digits when with a twenty eight day month.

What is claimed is:

l. A mechanism for controlling an electric switch, including a time-piece, two gears mounted upon and rotatable clockwise by and with the hour hand arbor of the time-piece, a motor for operating an electric switch. means for controlling the motor, two mechanisms for operating the latter means, one mechanism being controlled by its respective gear of the hour hand arbor, and the other mechanism by the remaining gear of the hour hand arbor, whereby the motor operates to close the switch when one mechanism is operated and operates to open the switch when the other mechanism is operated, and adjustable means for varying the operation of the mechanism for closing the switch to compensate for the shortening or lengthening of the day and whereby the switch is closed at sundown.

2. A mechanism for controlling an electric switch, including a timepiece, two gears mounted upon and rotatable clockwise by and with the hour hand arbor of the time-piece, a motor for operating a switch, a frame connected to the framework of the time-piece, a motor controlling lever pivoted to the frame and operably connected to the motor, two mechanisms for actuating the lever, one of said mechanisms being controlled by its respective gear of the hour hand arbor, whereby the motor is released to cause the closure of the switch when one mechanism is operated by the time-piece, said mot-or being operated to open the switch when the other mechanism is operated by the time-piece, and adjustable means for varying the operation of the mechanism for closing the switch to compensate for the shortening or lengthening of the day and whereby the switch is closed at sundown.

3. A mechanism for controlling a rotary electric switch, including a time-piece, two gears mounted upon and rotatable clockwise by and with the hour hand arbor of the time piece, a motor for operating the switch, a frame connected to the framework of the time-piece adjacent the hour hand arbor thereof, a motor controlling lever pivoted intermediate of its ends and carried by said frame, means for operably connecting one end of said lever to the motor, a gear in mesh with one of the two gears of the hour hand arbor of the timepiece, said single gear being rotated once every two revolutions of the hour hand arbor, cooperative means carried by said single gear and the lever at the end opposite to the motor control connecting means, whereby said lever is operated once every revolution of the latter gear to operate the lever to release the motor, said gear and the cooperating means constituting a mechanism for releasing the motor to open the switch, and a switch mechanism operably connected to the remaining gear of the hour hand arbor and to the lever for operating the control lever at a predeter mined time to release the motor to close the switch.

4. A mechanism for controlling a rotary electric switch, including a time piece, two gears mounted upon and rotatable clockwise by and with the hour hand arbor of the time piece, a motor for rotating the switch, a frame connected to the framework of the time piece adjacent the hour hand arbor, a motor controlling lever pivoted intermediate of its ends to said frame, a spring for returning the lever to normal position, means for operably connecting one end of said lever to the motor, a gear operably connected to one of the gears of the hour hand arbor to be rotated once every two revolutions of the hour hand arbor, a secondary lever provided with a curved slotted end embracing the journal of the gear that is operated by one of the gears of the hour hand arbor, cooperating means carried by the latter lever and said last gear whereby said lever is operated once every twentyfour hours, means for operatively connecting said lever to the motor controlling lever, and a compensating mechanism operably connected to the slotted lever for regulating the time of actuation thereof.

5. A mechanism for controlling a rotary electric switch, including a time piece, two gears mounted upon and rotatable clockwise by and with the hour hand arbor of the time piece, a motor for rotating the switch, a frame connected to the framework of the clock adjacent the hour hand arbor, a motor controlling lever pivoted intermediate of its ends to said frame, a spring for returning the lever to normal position, means for operably connecting one end of said lever to the motor, a gear operably connected to one of the gears of the hour hand arbor to be rotated once every two revolutions of the hour hand arbor, a secondary lever provided with a curved slotted end embracing the journal of the gear that is operated by one of the gears of the hour hand arbor, cooperating means carried by the latter lever and the last gear whereby said lever is operated once every twenty-four hours, means for operatively connecting said lever to the motor controlling lever, a compensating mechanism operably connected to the slotted lever for regulating the time of actuation thereof, and means operably connected to the remaining gear of the hour hand arbor and the motor controlling means for operating such lever to cause the opening of said switch.

6. A mechanism for controliling a rotary electric switch, including a time piece, two

gears mounted upon and rotatable clockwise by and with the hour hand arbor of the time iece, a motor for rotating the switch, a fi ame connected to the framework of the time piece adjacent the hour hand arbor, a motor controlling lever pivoted intermediate of its ends to said fraine, a spring for returning the lever to normal position, means for operably connecting one end of said lever to the motor, a gear operably connected to one of the gears of the hour hand arbor to be rotated once every two revolutions of the hour hand arbor, a secondary' lever provided with a curved slotted end embracing the journal of the gear that is operated by one of the gears of the hour hand arbor, cooperative means carried by said last gear and the lever whereby said lever is operated once every twentyfour hours, means for operatively connecting said lever to the motor control lever,

a compensating mechanism operabl con nected to the slotted lever for regulatmg the time of actuation thereof. means 0 erably connected to the remaining gear of the hour hand arbor and the motor controlling lever for operating such lever to cause the opening of said switch, said latter mechanism including a gear mounted in the frame and in mesh with the remainin gear of the hour hand arbor, a pin carrie by said gear, and a hooked arm carried by the motor control lever and disposed in the path to be engaged by said pin.

In testimon that I claim the foregoing as my own, I ave hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN C. VAN SLYKE.

Witnesses:

SELILA WILLsoN, I. E. SIMPSON. 

